B2 – Upper Intermediate
China has decided to ban hidden door handles after several deadly accidents. In some crashes, passengers and rescuers had difficulty opening car doors. These handles are common in modern electric cars because of their sleek design and aerodynamic benefits. The decision highlights growing concerns about balancing modern design with passenger safety and may influence safety standards in other countries.
Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions below.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the word “deem” mean? They simply deem these concealed door handles to be too unsafe. Use the word in a sentence.
- What is a “high-profile case“? There are a number of high-profile cases where an electric vehicle crashed in which the doors weren’t able to open because of these concealed doors. Make one sentence using the word.
- What does the idiom “to drive someone nuts” mean? Trying to figure out how to open the hidden door handles in a Tesla for the first time can really drive someone nuts. Use the idiom in your sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think banning hidden car door handles is the right decision to improve passenger safety? Why or why not?
- In your opinion, should car design focus more on safety than appearance and modern features?
- How can car manufacturers balance innovative design with safety requirements?
- Do you think other countries should follow China’s decision to ban hidden car door handles? Why or why not?
- Should car companies be punished if a design feature causes accidents or injuries?
- Can too many automatic features make drivers less careful?
2 replies on “China Bans Hidden Car Door Handles”
Vocabulary Questions:
1. Deem means believe something to be a certain way.
A sentence could be “I deem that cars whit a mecanical door handle are better”
2. A high-profile case is a situation that receives a lot of importance.
A sentence could be “The accident became a high-profile case because many TV channels talks about it”
3. To drive someone nuts means to make someone very annoyed.
A sentence could be “My slow computer drives me nuts when I have to work quickly.”
Discussion Questions:
1. I think it is a good decision, but it doesn’t guarantee you will be able to open the door when helping in a car accident. Maybe car manufacturers should look for better alternatives to improve this problem.
2. In my opinion, car design has to focus more on safety than appearance and modern features. At the end of the day, this is the most important thing.
3. Car manufacturers can balance innovative design with safety requirements by making sure that modern features are also safe to use.
4. Yes, I think this type of car accident can occur all around the world, so all countries should follow China’s decision.
5. No, all the cars have a “safety test”, and when you buy a car you may check the safty parametres of the vehicle and decide wheter if it is safe or not.
6. Yes, because it gives you a false sense of security and you pay less attention to the road.
Your sentences already communicate clear ideas, and most of the corrections are about sounding more natural or polished — not about basic understanding. That’s a strong sign that your English is improving.
Be mindful with grammar and spelling in this sentence:
You’re doing well in expressing opinions clearly.